There will be 4 different Classes for Elder Scrolls Online at launch: The destructive Dragonknight, the courageous Templar, the deadly Sorcerer and the cunning Nightblade. This is not unlike the traditional Dungeons & Dragons classic adventuring party: Fighter, Cleric, Wizard and Rogue. Any game with these foundations is destined for some measure of success, for these are the archetypes upon which everything else is built. Each of the ESO classes will have access to a variety of different skills, split up into 3 separate skill lines, bringing a massive diversity to your play styles.

[ Dragonknight ]

The Dragonknight is the warrior, the powerful, heavily armoured fighter who’s offensive capabilities smash aside all who stand before him. His devastating combat prowess is aided by deadly battle magic, complementing his ability to close with an opponent before delivering the fatal death blow.

Ardent Flame

The first skill line of the Dragonknight is that of the Ardent Flame: featuring offensive skills focused on fire and destruction. Passive skills include Kindling, which increases damage of burning effects applied by your fire abilities; Warmth, which applies a snare to foes when you deal fire damage; Searing Heat, increasing the duration on your burning abilities from the Ardent Flame skills and World in Flame, which increases the damage of AOE (area of effect) fire abilities.

The non passive abilities, ones you have to activate, are Fiery Reach, which you may have seen in gameplay footage, pulling a foe towards you with a chain and deals damage; Searing Strike, dealing DOT (damage over time); Fiery Breath, allowing you to freaking breath fire! And ignites foes in front of you, dealing DOT; Lava Whip, which deals fire damage and if you use it on an immobilized or stunned foe it will make them off balance; and Inferno, which is an aura that effects all nearby foes, dealing damage to them, whilst draining the dragonknight’s Magicka. The longer the aura is active, the more Magicka it will drain but the more damage it will deal.

The Ultimate Ability for the Ardent Flame is Dragonknight Standard (they could’ve thought up a better name for this…Dragonknight Banner maybe?), which plants a banner in the ground, dealing damage to nearby foes and reducing any healing effects they may be receiving.

Draconic Power

The Draconic Power skill line is more defensive, harkening to the hardened scales and natural resistances of a real dragon. The Passives are: Iron Skin, increasing your amount of blockable damage; Burning Heart, increasing healing for every draconic ability on your action bar; Elder Dragon, increasing your health regen for every draconic ability on your action bar and Scaled Armour, which increases your resistance to enemy spells.

The Actives are: Spike Armour, which increases your damage resistance and returns some of the damage to your foes in close combat; Dark Talons, rooting all nearby foes and dealing extra damage to foes not already affected; Dragon Blood, instantly healing you and applying a HOT spell (heals over time); Reflective Scales, which deflects incoming projectiles for a short time and Inhale, which absorbs health from nearby foes and rebounds it upon them, depending on how much was absorbed.

The Ultimate Ability for Draconic Power is the awesome Dragon Leap, causing you to sprout magical dragon wings and leap through the air, before landing in a crash of AOE damage and knocking your opponent down.

Earthen Heart

This final skill line revolves around aiding others in your party and debilitating effects against foes. Its Passives include Eternal Mountain, increasing the duration of all your Earthen Heart abilities; Deep Breaths, which, when an Ultimate Ability is used, restores the Dragonknight’s resources, based on the cost of the Ultimate; Mountain Blessing, gaining additional ultimate charge when you activate one of your Earthen abilities and Helping Hands, restoring your stamina when one of your Earthen abilities is applied to another player.

The Earthen Heart Actives are Stonefist, lifting a hunk of rock from the ground and hurling it at the victim, dealing damage and knocking them off their feet (similar to Earth Bending for those of you familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender); Molten Weapons, applying a AOE buff aura increasing the power of allies with the Dragonknight gaining double the benefit; Obsidian Shield, creating a shield of rock around nearby allies which will absorb some of any incoming damage, with the Dragonknight gaining double benefits again; Petrify, turning your victim to stone. Just kidding, it applies a long duration stun to the foe and Ash Cloud, which summons a cloud of ash, snaring foes and increasing their chance to miss in melee combat.

Finally, the Earthen Heart’s Ultimate Ability is Magma Armour, reducing incoming damage to a maximum percentage of your health for each hit, while dealing fire damage to all foes around you.

Check back in a fortnight to read about more Class Skills in Elder Scrolls Online.

Andy Lex Bain is a 31 year old writer who resides in Tasmania. He enjoys writing, reading, writing video game reviews, gaming, writing fiendish campaigns for his roleplaying club "The Blades of Valour", cosplaying, bushwalking and watching movies, DVDs and anime. He aspires to be a full-time published author and basically spends his days slaving away at his computer, ShadowLord.